Auburn's Student Magazine of Literature and Art

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the critical reviews for the sequel to Man of Steel: most reviewers hate this movie. However, I tried to ignore such reviews to the movie so I could do my own objective review, with limited success. With that being said, let me talk about why I think reviewers despise this movie, and then I will go into what I liked and disliked about this movie.

I will try to avoid spoilers, but be warned from this point forward of potential ones.

We live in an interesting time when it comes to movies and television. It used to be that movies and television were expected to be standalone and separate from one another. Television shows were expected to have each episode be a self-contained story with very limited narrative arcs between episodes, if there were any at all. The only linking elements between the episodes were the characters themselves, finding themselves in a brand new situation each week, but having this universe were expectations and rules were in places based on the characters. Movies had the expectation of entirely standing alone, and if you were going to do a sequel, you better make sure that sequel can stand on its own as well and not rely too much on what came before. The Godfather Part II works because it explores the new problems Michael Corleone faces, with very few lines and scenes that remind us of the events of the previous movie. Usually those lines and scenes also did the job of enhancing the plot and characters of the current movie.

Those rules have changed. Now there is this desire for interconnectivity, with TV shows starting to be written like long movies, and now movies are borrowing a few things from television shows.

It started with shows like the The X-Files, where most of the episodes were standalone stories, but a few had this narrative arc about an alien conspiracy that required the viewer to watch previous episodes to understand what was happening. Now, shows like Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad require viewers to watch each episode in order to understand what is going on. With the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, now there is this desire to create movies,(and in some cases TV shows as well), that are tentatively connected to each other in, depending on which movies introduce new characters and which are sequels. Warner Bros. is no exception to this, and with success of Man of Steel, announced a cinematic universe that connects all their DC Comics superheroes. I think that is why critics had a problem with this movie: instead of being standalone, it is meant to be the next step in something bigger.

Also, critics seemed to have problem with the attempt to make a superhero movie that is grounded in reality and attempted to be philosophical. However, from a business perspective, Warner Bros. didn’t have a choice with that approach. The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, while having dramatic and emotional weight, also have this tone of lightheartedness and humor that is uniquely its own. Not that Batman vs. Superman didn’t have humor at all, but tonally and stylistically, Warner Bros. had to tell this story in a way opposite of the Marvel stuff so accusations of plagiarism did not emerge. So there has to be this understanding when watching this movie. While we are dealing with superheroes, we have to address the real-world consequences of superheroes in this movie.

Now, let me get to what I like about this movie:

1. Zack Snyder is a director with a unique aesthetic to his movies, which I really like. Same thing applies to directors like Guillermo del Toro and Neill Blomkamp This movie was an attempt to be between a realistic movie and a comic book, and it succeeding on the front due to Snyder’s unique style. Most scenes looked like they could have been comic book panels. Also, the action sequences were fantastic, especially the Batman fights. My only problem was I wish we saw more Batman fighting bad guys.

2. The acting was great across the board. Each actor did a faithful portrayal of each character, while adding something unique. Ben Affleck did a great Bruce Wayne, and I can’t wait to see him in future movies. Jeremy Irons was a great Alfred. Jessie Eisenberg did an interesting approach to Lex Luthor that worked in some places and in others did not. He did a Luthor that was a puppet master in the shadows for most of the time, which I appreciated. He also was a Luthor that suffered from numerous undiagnosed mental disorders besides psychopathy, like obsessive-compulsive disorder of some kind. In some cases, this eccentric approach worked and in others it did not. Gal Gadot looks like she will be a promising Wonder Woman, but she really didn’t say enough dialogue to really get a better impression.

What I didn’t like about this movie:

1. I feel like their were two questions that were asked before writing this movie: How do we depict the fallout to the events of Man of Steel, and how do we foreshadow and connect to future movies like Wonder Woman and Justice League? Those are fine questions to ask when plotting the structure to the movie, and in some cases it worked, like the beginning of the movie with Bruce Wayne in Metropolis and when Wayne has a very weird dream sequence. However, at many points, it felt the attempts to address those questions smothered the characters and plot of the movie. It almost got to the point that Batman and Superman didn’t really have a good reason to fight in the first place, which would have defeated the purpose of the movie.

2. While the attempt to make this movie look like a comic book largely worked, at many points it was jarring. Because this movie was trying to jam so much into it, the cuts between scenes were very quick, making the flow of the movie very confusing. Some short scenes could have been cut because they lasted a few seconds, or had more stuff added to them to give them more dimensions. This chunkiness was very apparent in the beginning of the movie.

3. Lois Lane’s role fell overemphasized, especially at the climax of the movie. She really didn’t need to be in the middle of all that chaos.

4. While the philosophical bent to the movie was a good approach, it felt like the attempts to be intellectual prevented the dialogue and imagery from being emotional and naturalistic many times. It also kept the viewers from learning more about the characters that we need to build a relationship with. If Bruce Wayne has been fighting crime for 20 years, what has happened to him in more detail to make him so jaded? We get that Lex had a bad relationship with his father, but more should have been added to understand why he does the evil, manipulative things he does. How is Alfred so useful to Bruce? Again, this is problem you face when try and cram so much into one movie.

Final thoughts:

This movie is being misjudged because it is not being placed in the right context. However, it is not a perfect film by any means as it flounders trying to achieve its mission because of it epic scale and many characters.

Diversity is a hot topic of this generation. Among the theme of diversity, “inclusion” is another word that is usually linked within the web of racial relations. Take this year’s Academy Awards that took place February 28 for example, with the #OscarSoWhite boycott and the cringe-worthy monologue of Chris Rock. One of the major complaints of the Oscars was the lack of diversity in the nominees; hardly any of the nominees were a person of color. The point is, many of our generation are crying out asking “Why isn’t there people like me on the big screen in positive roles for once?” and also “Why are people of color not getting the praise they deserve?” Or better yet when turning to other media besides television or movies, “Why is every popular novel these days starring some white guy or gal with maybe one person of color supporting character?” Quick answer: they sell; longer answer: people of color are not creating, supporting, nor buying; long answer: cannot be answered because it will take pages upon pages to explain fully.
Society in America has a long way to go to be completely inclusive and diverse in the arts, but there is hope. In the past decade there has been a rising surge of young creators: animators, mangakas (manga artists), graphic novelists, writers and artists that are taking control of their craft and putting forth great works with a focus on a diverse cast; they make it a priority, without being too on the nose with their intentions on inclusion. Many of these artists are unknown and just waiting to be discovered in order to make it big. With support and investments from fans, this generation’s diverse creators can make a change by splashing color on the staleness of modern entertainment.
Below is a list of artists I highly recommend to look into with their upcoming or current works:

Urbance

(Source: World-of-Urbance.tumblr.com)
Created by French animation company SteamBot, Urbance is the lovechild of Director Joel Dos Reis Viegas and Sébastien Larroudé. It is an animated action series for older audiences with beautiful, futuristic designs, lovable characters, and great potential.

The story introduces the intriguing concept of “The Last Generation,” a population of young adults that spent their entire lives separated by gender. Sex kills, literally. Heterosexual intimacy is forbidden because of a disease that took hold of the human race. As rambunctious and rebellious as young adults typically are, many have come up with ways to side-step the gender separation and lack of intimacy, even creating drinks that trigger Endorphin rushes and pills to overcome the instant-death “side-effect” of the sexually transmitted disease.

(Source: feerik-art.com/urbance)

Urbance, the story follows Disk-jockey Kenzell and the mysterious designer Lesya and their journey to overcome the obstacles presented in their world.
Raising over $229,300 on Kickstarter over its pledged $189,000 goal, Urbance has taken off in production from its humble set of concept images to a now eight minute pilot provided by their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/urbancetv/). If you want action, adventure with a splash of love, check out this unique take on identity and sexuality.

SAGA(Source: Wikipedia.org/wiki/Saga_(comic_book)

What would you get if you mixed Star Wars and Romeo and Juliet? You would get an amazing; raw, but honest; epic and heartfelt story of a family trying to make due in the crazy universe they live in. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and art by Fiona Staples, Saga is a monthly opera/fantasy comic book series that is published by Image Comics monthly

(Source: The Atlantic.com)

The series follows an interracial couple Marko the horned husband (depicted as an Asian male) and Alana the winged wife (depicted as a Black female) as they escape the war between their two planets with their child Hazel.

With fantastic visuals and page-turning plot, the quiet comic series has experienced a recent surge in popularity. The series’ sixth volume will be released this June while the #36 issue will be released in April. Now is the perfect time to binge read and give this harrowing tale a try. Be warned, the story contains some graphic materials and is intended for mature audiences (16+). You can find Saga at your local Barnes&Nobels, Books-A-Million, and Hastings.

Tephlon Funk

(Source: kickstarter.com/projects/tephlonfunk/tephlon-funk/)

Still in the developing stages but recently releasing “Demo Reels” prints of their work, Tephlon Funk is a manga series created by Stephane Metayer. With a majority black cast, the story is a fresh approach to paying homage to Hip Hop and Anime.

The story involves young protagonist Inez Jozlyn of Queensbridge, New York City trying to find a way out of the life she is currently living. One day, she runs into her classmate Gabriel Ainsley in search of his “Tephlon Funk,” a powerful drug that is sought after by NYPD and notorious gangs hailing from the major boroughs.

(Source: Tephlonfunk.com/gallery/)

Another story with great potential, Tephlon Funk can be read in full on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TephlonFunk/?fref=ts ) and their Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/tephlonfunk/). With continued support, Metayer and his team hopes to develop their manga into an animated series in the future.

Any other diverse creators to highlight? Share and get the conversation going! With bold artists like these, hopefully diversity and inclusion will be achieved sooner than we think.

We know the movement. We’ve seen the abundance of clearly thrifted flannel shirts, the glasses with thick, black frames, and the uprising of quite tight jeans. The movement started with this idea in mind that mainstream ideologies and habits were no longer cool—in order to proclaim one’s cool, unique personality that you should join the hipster movement.

The trend, ironically, flooded into the mainstream and many so-called hipster things have taken off and become overwhelming popular. Coffee, for example, has expanded from a caffeinating beverage to a social trend and a popular social media post. So are hipsters considered hipster anymore? Or has hipster transcended beyond hipster?

There’s enough supporting evidence to show how this movement has transitioned through a couple of waves. The first would be back in the 1940s, especially seen in the beat generation. This is when the term hipster was created to describe the counter cultural group that listened to jazz music, relished in drug use and relaxed morals. On the Road by Jack Kerouac would be a good example of the embodiment of the first wave of hipster. These hipsters would be far more energetic and excitable than this generation. Kerouac talks about the counter culture hipsters when he writes, “the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”

The first wave lost popularity and that word wasn’t used again with the same frequency until around the 2000s. People emerged from the shadows and embraced the second wave of hipster with their anti-mainstream philosophy, flannel, and alternative music taste. This is the movement that comes to mind when the word “hipster” is muttered to describe the perfectly disheveled ensemble worn by a vinyl enthusiast.

Now, the third wave has begun to wash over culture. The second wave became too popular and so the third wave sought secrecy from the mainstream. The third wave is similar to post-modern art in that there aren’t any distinguishable characteristics, but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. There’s an “every person for himself or herself” attitude about likes and dislikes, beliefs and values. Some of the second wave themes may still tinge their wardrobe, tastes, and habits, but they no longer define the movement.

The third movement is tasteful, it’s secretive, and suits anyone who seeks out the new, the unique, and the obscure. The title hipster no longer seems appropriate in the third wave, but, alas, here we are amid a new era. It has escaped conformity and relishes in individuality, acceptance, and vigilance in pursuing new artistic endeavors.